HALIFAX — A group that represents 1,400 university teachers in Nova Scotia is accusing the provincial government of trying to overstep its authority.
The Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers issued a statement today saying that a recently introduced bill would give the advanced education minister the power to appoint the majority of members to university boards.
Association president Scott Stewart says the bill gives the Progressive Conservative government the ability to "stack the deck" of university boards in a way that may not serve the best interests of the schools.The statement goes on to suggest the proposed law would also give the minister the power to insist that university research align only with government priorities.
Stewart says the government should not be allowed to determine the priorities for the Research Nova Scotia Corporation, an independent, not-for-profit organization that currently oversees those objectives.
“Providing the minister with the power to single-handedly steer the focus of research or lose funding is narrow-minded, and dangerous,” Stewart said.
"Research priorities need to stay safely in the hands of the researchers and scientists who can objectively identify the merits of each project.”
On another front, the bill would give the minister the ability to force universities into a "revitalization process," a step that is currently optional. Any university that fails to comply with that order could lose operating funds, the association says.
"The threat here is to the right to collective bargaining for all university employees, from the staff who clean the halls, and keep the boilers running, to those who offer administrative support and faculty who teach the students," Stewart said.
"Once again, the power to make those vital decisions needs to remain with the university."
Advanced Education Minister Brendan Maguire could not immediately be reached for comment.
The association represents faculty at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Francis Xavier University, Université Sainte-Anne, Cape Breton University, the Atlantic School of Theology, Acadia University and Saint Mary’s University.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2025.
The Canadian Press
